Max Distance versus Average Distance

December 19th, 2012, 11:39 AM

I have a friend who I play with fairly regularly who says he "throws about 400' "
I don't think I have ever seen him throw a disc that far. He averages around 325' and maybe I have seen him throw 350'.
Maybe one time he actually threw 400', maybe he does it regularly when he is not around me. But I think his statement that he throws 400' may be misleading.

I want to hear from others, what is your average distance and what is your max distance?

For me, I would say I average about 300'. Every once in a while I get a perfect hyzer flip on my blizzard katana and throw it 360'. But I would not claim "I throw it about 360' ".
My furthest throw was on the island hole at Milo(the one that runs along the road). Perfect conditions, warm, a slight breeze, a perfect hyzer flip with said Katana and it went 400'.

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I think it's fairly common that people confuse the two when taking about distance. Plus the bigger number sounds better. On a cold day I can fairly comfortably throw a controlled 425 or so. I used to try and throw a lot of max distance shots, but decided to focus on control over distance, so no clue what I could pull off for max d anymore. 500 didn't used to be much of a stretch from reality.

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I find it strange that people throw 300 all the time and then every once in a while they throw a bomb and get 400+ feet out of it. I average around 300 feet per drive and my farthest throw is probably 350 feet on flat ground. I don't understand how peoples best throw is 100+ feet father than what they normally throw. Unless you're at a distance competition you really don't know how far you're actually throwing; many people guesstimate the distance or even worse use the 'hole distance' as an indication. The distance on the tee sign is rarely accurate and when you throw a drive you're rarely throwing the exact line that they used to measure the hole.

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it occurred to me this last year that people exaggerate their distances. this first occurred to me when someone posted on fb about throwing 425+ feet and i was like, "girl... you throw a lot further than me... but not that far... unless it was at altitude with a tailwind and a steep downhill slope."

then i started paying attention to the distances on signs at my regular courses and was like, "dannnng. i exaggerate my OWN distance for heaven's sake," realizing i was throwing not the the 300 feet i thought i was, but more like 260'.

then i started to paying attention to what other gals (and their boyfriends, etc.) were saying they threw and was like, "hmmmm... but i've played with you and i don't throw that far... and well, i throw farther than you... so you ain't throwin' no 290/300 either, yo."

and then, a couple few times playin' with random folk, i would pop off a sweet drive and they'd be all like, "daaaammmnn, girl! that's 350, fo' sho!" now, indeed it may have been a sweet drive, and indeed, i have gained some distance over the last year as my form and technique have improved, but i know with certainty that my average these days is about 275/285 and that i cap out with a couple 300 footers (MAYBE) per round (thank you, blue lake).

so my point is, it's one of the less awesome aspects of the disc golf culture (like calling people baggers) that fairly across the board there is quite a bit of exaggeration on actual distances of actual throws (except for jeff hagerty, i can vouch for the fact that those are accurate numbers).

(in my opinion)

"'There are two mantras.,' Bernard said, 'Yum and yuk. Mine is yum.'"
Tom Robbins, Still Life With Woodpecker

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I Would say that I could throw about 400 consistently but can't get much further. When I try to throw for distance I end up going high, low, or I flip the disc over way too hard. I Used to be able to throw my Katana's a lot further than I can throw now, but I've taken them out of my bag. I found that the distance I got out of them was almost never worth it because I couldn't control the thing, now with destroyers I'm getting less distance than I was but I can control it so much better. I have stopped trying to throw much further than 400 in a competitive round, I just know I realistically can't reach it so instead I just try to get close off of a good throw rather than a powerful throw and hope I make a big putt.

Fear of any kind is the number one enemy of all golfers regardless of ball-striking and shot-making capabilities.

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There's a big difference between max raw distance, golf distance and internet distance. I can throw without any struggle from behind one end zone on a football field and put it past the back of the other end zone. At Four Mounds they have a driving range and I was hitting 425-460 on golf distance shots. My internet distance though is 900 feet in a headwind at sea level.

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Guesstimating that my longest throw on a course during play is 350', give or take. Inflation ground and very little wind. Basing that on the distance to the basket stated on tee pad sign. (I know possibliy not accurate). But I would say that my average distance is closer to 270'-290'. Have never thrown on a football field or any measured course.

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I'm good for 350 average. We have a marked distance at white river, hole 17 fairway, measured from the blue t-pad. This starts at 200ft and goes to 400ft, to the short pin location.
I have thrown 460 ft flat land, no wind, ft steilicoom, only done this 2x. hole NW 17 now I think?
At the Lucky Mud I got 548ft, however that hole, pro 8? is a big down hill.
I gave up on the distance game, I want acuracy at 350ft. This is all I practice for.

Hukin since 1992
DGOD #115

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I'm good for 350 average. We have a marked distance at white river, hole 17 fairway, measured from the blue t-pad. This starts at 200ft and goes to 400ft, to the short pin location.
I have thrown 460 ft flat land, no wind, ft steilicoom, only done this 2x. hole NW 17 now I think?
At the Lucky Mud I got 548ft, however that hole, pro 8? is a big down hill.
I gave up on the distance game, I want acuracy at 350ft. This is all I practice for.

I cry foul on this one!!!
When has there been no wind at Steilly?????

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